Quality Time in the Kitchen

By Pete Evans |
July 29, 2014

Quality Time in the Kitchen

Quality Time in the Kitchen

Brisket is one of the toughest cuts of meat, which makes it perfect for slow cooking. The brisket lies over the cow’s sternum, ribs and connecting cartilage. It is tough and full of connective tissues, so you can’t cook it as you would a steak as it would be inedible. But when you slow-cook brisket, the collagen fibres break down so the meat becomes tender, gelatinous and melt-in-the-mouth delicious.
As you may know, I follow a Paleo way of life. There are many versions of this diet. Some are mainly carnivorous; some suggest eating only raw meats and vegetables; others opt for “lean meats”; some promote starchy roots and natural sugars such as honey; while others endorse processed “carb substitutes”, protein powders and “Paleo” items that are barely better than other processed food.
The advanced form of Paleo involves applying Paleolithic “principles”. These are based on what we would have eaten as a species over history (which we would be best adapted to), coupled with taking into account the foods that human physiology is designed to make optimal use of. This approach also factors in challenges of the modern world (such as pollutants, depleted soils, a fast-paced lifestyle, and so on). It encompasses the most recent advances in human longevity research that allow us to modify dietary principles for even better health optimisation.
In an (activated!) nutshell: the Paleo way promotes the minimisation of sugary and starchy foods; a moderate protein intake; the liberal consumption of fibrous vegetables and greens (raw, lightly cooked and/or fermented); nuts, seeds and eggs; and as much dietary natural fat as is needed to satisfy the appetite and support the brain and nervous system.
The Paleo way embraces 100 per cent organic, humanely raised pasture-fed-and-finished meats and organs. This is sustainable and healthy for both the body and the planet. So when you go to cook your brisket, keep these principles in mind and source your meat from a quality purveyor.